Lost Along The Way
by xXBalorBabeXx
Summary: So much has changed since he was around full time... but has he completely lost her friendship? And is he willing to accept that someone else has basically taken his place? (Co-written with Cry-Of-A-Warp-Engine)
1. How It All Started

_**June 24th 2003…**_

" _Quit it!" 13 year old Amanda squealed with laughter as Brock was tickling the small teen he was watching backstage while her brother was in one of his matches._

" _Quit tickling you? I can't help it." Brock responded with a smile, giving Amanda a chance to breathe before she sat up on the couch and he sat down next to her._

" _You think he'll be okay in that ring?" Amanda asked, Brock knowing where that question was stemming from as it was only two weeks after the ring had caved in._

" _Yeah. They know what they're doing, kiddo." Brock said, Amanda adjusting her hair into a ponytail… and Brock noticing a small speck of chocolate shimmer under her eye, grabbing a tissue and brushing it off her before confirming what it was, eyeshadow. "Seems like I missed something when I blinked… but you're subtle with it, that's a good thing." He replied._

" _John was a bit startled, tried to get me to scrub it off." Amanda explained._

" _That's how brothers are with their sisters, don't like seeing them grow up… just don't grow up too fast, Mandy. Who knows… in the next blink, I'll see you accepting a marriage proposal." Brock responded, Amanda chuckling._

" _Long time away for that, Brock. I just turned 13." Amanda replied, her and Brock hugging._

" _But you're never too old for the tickle monster!" Brock said, exclaiming the last three words and Amanda's laughter starting up again when he tickled her._

 _And Brock knew that one day, she'd be all grown up… and he would be wondering where the time went…_

 **Present time,** _ **NXT TakeOver Brooklyn 2015**_ **…**

He would be leaving again for a little while after SummerSlam, that was how his schedule was… but he knew she didn't have to like it for many reasons.

Brock knew that Amanda was nowhere near the same person she was when he first left… and he had hoped to rebuild their friendship when he returned in 2012.

But the time they spent together on the road became sporadic. Before he knew it, she stopped traveling with him to events altogether as his appearances at the events dwindled… and it frustrated her.

So Brock found himself here at the Barclays Centre, having not been able to stay relaxed at the hotel.

And it wasn't long before he found her… and stopped short of approaching her.

Black, red and white wings were painted on Amanda's sides and back with her ring outfit in the same colors… she had ice blue contact lenses hiding her sparkling hazel eyes and red eyeshadow in a cat eye style, the black eyeliner the same way.

Brock narrowed his eyes the second he saw Finn walk over to Amanda and playfully nip at her neck as his right arm wrapped around her waist in a careful manner so as not to smudge the paint both had on them, Amanda laughing softly.

"Hey… what's up, old man?" Brock heard, turning and seeing Kevin Owens walk over.

"You know if anything's going on between them?" Brock asked.

"I'm not sure I'm the right person to ask that question to, Brock. I'm nowhere near objective." Kevin responded before he left, Brock turning back to where Amanda and Finn were.

The Demon Mistress looked at the Beast Incarnate, her eyes narrowed as a warning… until the Demon King lightly tugged on her right hand.

"It's okay, keep a cool head about things, Darlin'." Finn whispered, Amanda nodding.

Amanda followed Finn to the curtain and Brock was pretending to stay focused during a conversation… but Alexa lightly slapped him on his right shoulder once she was sure that the two had walked through the curtain.

"Hey, where's your head at?" Alexa asked.

"Sorry… I miss it when she was little. I know you two have your differences but I left when she was young and it hurt her more than she admitted. Wouldn't you feel the same way if someone you were close to just left abruptly when you were 13?" Brock responded.

"I would…" Alexa answered, hating that she just admitted that.

Out in the front row near the stage were two people watching carefully… and the smallest one's blue and orange eyes widening slightly when Finn grabbed onto Amanda's hips after picking up his NXT Championship and his teeth clipped the crook of her neck, Amanda closing her eyes and tilting her head back for a few seconds before she opened her eyes again.

"Isn't this supposed to be a family friendly show?" The blonde next to the small brunette questioned.

"Eh, the kids have seen worse on _General Hospital_ , Sandy." Immy responded as Amanda glanced at them and smiled before getting into the ring with Finn.

"Old friend?" Finn whispered before he guided Amanda out of the ring, Amanda smiling and nodding.

But halfway through it, Kevin bashed the ladder into Finn and busted him open, Amanda immediately checking on Finn and pressing a towel to his neck.

"Kevin, you son of a bitch!" Amanda yelled as she jumped into the ring and onto Kevin, putting him in a chokehold.

"Chokeholding's illegal!" Kevin responded angrily.

"Yeah, you can file a complaint!" Amanda retorted dryly as Kevin struggled to get her off of him before he yanked her over his shoulder by her hair and she crashed onto the mat… and as Kevin turned, Finn ran at him and dropkicked him before Finn checked on Amanda and helped her up before she steadied the ladder, insisting she was okay.

Kevin was regaining consciousness when he heard the bell ring and pulled himself up to his feet… holding onto the ring apron to stay standing, he saw Finn holding the NXT Championship up high with his right hand and his left arm around Amanda's waist before he nuzzled his face against hers as she rested her left hand on his face and he lightly kissed the palm of it before helping her down the ladder and the two exiting the ring.

"I guess that's what we'd call a Strangelove kind of storyline. Why can't the main roster write feuds like this?" Sandy responded.

"I guess the script writers are just stubborn… and I doubt what she did to Owens was scripted." Immy replied, knowing that Amanda would get furious if the ones closest to her were hurt in any way.


	2. Closeness Misunderstood

"There was no part written where she could get involved in the match!" Kevin yelled.

"Oh and you're gonna say that you _accidentally_ used too much force with the ladder?! That was deliberate, Owens and it was fucking wrong of you to do! Hating an opponent doesn't justify intentionally injuring them!" Amanda shouted, Finn holding her back as Hunter turned to Kevin.

"I've told you repeatedly that if you hurt someone she cares about that she'll turn angrier than a wolf protecting its pack!" Hunter responded before seeing Sandy and Immy walk over.

"Now that, we can vouch for from experience." Immy said in response.

"You grew up with her, of course you can." Kevin muttered, as Hunter spoke quietly to Sandy, though all he heard was something about a surprise being nearly ready.

"And you and Sami were friends for years, wouldn't you be pissed if someone else used too much force with him?!" Finn responded angrily, having noticed that Amanda's lower back was bruised.

"It's just bruises… trust me, the ones around his neck look worse." Amanda replied. "Immy, this jackass here is Kevin Owens… better known as Run, Owens, Run instead of Fight, Owens, Fight." She responded, Immy snickering.

"I wasn't treated this badly in Ring Of Honor." Kevin replied sarcastically.

"Oh get off your bloody soapbox about that, it's getting fucking old." Finn responded.

"What's done is done, live with it and get over it is what I say." Sandy replied.

Kevin stormed off, Finn getting Amanda to sit down.

"I'm okay, Finn… you're the one bleeding because of Owens's stupidity." Amanda responded as Finn's left hand rested on Amanda's upper back.

"And he threw you too roughly onto the mat, Darlin'." Finn replied before Hunter returned with an ice pack and Finn pressed it to Amanda's lower back.

"Is Owens always like that?" Sandy asked.

"Him and countless others hate that Mandy and Finn are always around each other." Hunter explained.

"It's not really Kevin's business or Alexa's… or Seth's." Amanda responded before she saw Brock again, who motioned for her to walk over. "Give me a few minutes." She replied before she stood up and walked over to Brock.

"I don't like it much either, kid… or him." Brock explained.

"You're gone for most of the year, Brock… whenever you show up, it's just for the money and then I don't hear from you for months. You don't have to like Finn but he at least respects this business even after 15 years in it whereas you don't give a flying fuck unless the money's right! You don't think we're all tired and want nothing more than to go home and show up when we feel like it?! You threw our friendship out the damn window, Brock, as well as any rights to say who I can get close to! So screw you!" Amanda responded angrily, Brock's eyes widened with shock as Amanda walked back to the others and Finn rested his right hand on her back.

"Better now?" Finn whispered.

"Much better." Amanda responded quietly before she felt a bottle of water being placed in her hand and saw Sandy. "Thanks." She replied before opening the Dasani and sipping the cold water.

Brock had walked into the nearest locker room after taking time to process everything Amanda told him… and with his bad luck, the locker room was Kevin's.

"What, you're gonna hurt me for hurting that little bitch?!" Kevin responded after Brock closed the door.

"Call her that again and I will knock your teeth down your throat! Second, I needed someone else's perspective on Finn because I don't like him the way I don't like a lot of people and that's why I asked you earlier because I still care about Mandy like she's my own family!" Brock explained with anger barely restrained.

"You really trust her judgement when Finn's around her all the damn time, waiting to get her on her back?! Hell, I give it hours before they're fucking like bunnies!" Kevin responded, Brock grabbing him by his throat and Kevin trying to get free but Brock threw him through the wall.

The sound echoed and Finn and Amanda looked at each other, both still in towels after getting cleaned off.

"That brought back unpleasant memories." Amanda replied after getting dressed and fixing up her makeup in her usual style.

"Brock did that before?" Finn asked.

"To Matt Hardy back in 2002. And that was scripted." Amanda answered as she adjusted her black chiffon flowy mini dress and Finn watched her. "Too much? For the party?" She asked, Immy having left the dress in the locker room earlier for Amanda.

"Maybe… just a bit of a new style for you I suppose. One of the good things about friends picking your outfits, never know what you end up with or where it will be from perfect to terrible." Finn responded.

"True…" Amanda replied, sitting down and putting on a pair of stiletto heels as Finn folded up the sleeves of his collared shirt before helping Amanda stand up.

The two met up with the others and from a distance, Cody's eyes widened slightly at seeing Amanda.

"Cody!" Adrian responded, snapping Cody out of his trance.

"Sorry… just not used to seeing her dressed up." Cody explained.

"What are you talking about? Mandy wears nice clothes at times." Adrian responded as _High On You_ by Survivor played on the radio, Finn guiding Amanda to the dance floor and the two dancing… and Cody turning to Adrian. "You've got to remember that you're a married man and your ex is single and can see who she wants to." He explained.

"Certain people may find it easier or harder than me to accept that." Cody responded.

"True but look… Mandy hasn't been that happy in a long time, Cody. I can't remember the last time I saw a genuine smile on her pretty face." Adrian replied as Finn spun Amanda around while they were dancing and she laughed.

 _Love Train_ by The O'Jays played and Finn and Amanda started dancing differently as Cody headed to the bar.

"Whiskey." Cody replied, the bartender pouring a glass for him as Cody saw Seth drinking a beer. "Where's Zahra?" He asked.

"Clearing her mind outside…" Seth explained before he glanced at them.

"At least they ain't dancing like Johnny and Baby from _Dirty Dancing_." Cody replied, drinking his whiskey as Seth finished the beer. "Is Mandy still not speaking to you?"

"Has the story ever been any different lately?" Seth responded.

"I'd say give her time and let her chill out but that didn't work last time." Cody replied before they saw Amanda and Finn walked over to the other side of the bar… and Amanda drinking a Kamikaze as Finn was drinking Sake. "She normally drinks vodka." He muttered, Seth looking at Cody.

"When she was around me, it was always tequila." Seth responded as Sandy walked over to them.

"People's tastes change… but which one of you drove her to drinking hard liquor?" Sandy responded.

"Why are you assuming that it's one of us?" Seth asked as Finn and Amanda headed back to the dance floor and started to dance to _Leather And Lace_ by Stevie Nicks & Don Henley.

"I don't know of anyone else she was with." Sandy answered.

"Well, Randy was one. He got her into a lot of things, some less appropriate than others." Cody replied.

"Youth means sometimes getting into trouble." Sandy responded as Randy walked over.

"Bad timing?" Randy asked before he saw Amanda and Finn. "Is that Balor that she's dancing with?" He responded as Finn lifted Amanda's left leg up to his right hip while _Take Me Home Tonight_ by Eddie Money played.

"There a problem with that?" Sandy replied once she'd turned to him.

"No." Randy responded, grabbing Seth by his shirt and forcing him to sit back down. "Don't do anything you'll regret later, Rollins!" He growled before Zahra walked over and rested her hand on Seth's right arm.

"Why don't we ever dance like that, babe?" Zahra asked with a smile before guiding him to the dance floor and a distance from them.

"That was close." Amanda whispered before she mouthed _'Thank you'_ to Randy and then turned back to Finn, who had his right hand on her lower back once her left foot was on the floor.

And then Randy glanced at Cody, motioning for him to follow him somewhere.


	3. Long Gone

"You're looking at Mandy with creepy eyes, why?" Randy asked once they were a distance away from the others.

"Because she's looking at him with _'Fuck me'_ eyes." Cody replied, Randy tempted to hit him but restraining himself.

"And so what if she is? They're both of age, they know what it all is and you, or myself if I even wanted to, can do sweet fuck all about it. Get it now?" Randy responded.

At the same time, Immy glanced away from a drunk Brock.

"Uh oh." Immy muttered.

"Fighting?" Brock slurred.

"Yeah… are you gonna be able to get back to your hotel room okay, old man?" Immy replied, Brock nodding and managing to stand up… but he crashed to the floor and had to be pulled up by Sandy as well as Dolph.

"Hey, Brock, you alright?" Dolph asked after lightly slapping him.

"Let's get him back to his room." Sandy responded before they guided Brock to the elevator as Brock drunkenly sang _True Love_ by Glenn Frey.

After making sure Brock was in his room, Dolph and Sandy looked at each other.

"I'm gonna head back for one last drink. You alright?" Dolph replied.

"Yeah, I'll catch up with you in a bit." Sandy responded before Dolph left… and Sandy leaned against the wall.

"Not your usual type…"

Sandy turned around after hearing that, seeing a man she never wanted to see again.

"Why are you here?" Sandy asked in a tense manner as her shock slowly faded and neither paying attention to the elevator door opening.

"Why wouldn't I…" The man responded before he saw Amanda and Finn walk over. "Can I help you?" He asked.

"Yeah, you can get away from the lady!" Finn replied.

"He works for my father." Sandy spoke simply.

" _Worked._ I had a… change of profession, and ultimately a change of employment." The man responded.

"And you're creeping her out so kick rocks, dirtbag!" Amanda replied, the man eying her for a few seconds and rolling his eyes. "Amused, huh?" She responded.

"You're tiny like a china doll." The man replied.

"Watch your mouth!" Finn growled, standing in front of Amanda and Sandy in a protective manner.

"It'll be quick and painless, don't you worry, and there'll be little blood." The man spoke as he then took a long curved dagger from inside his coat. "If it goes under the chin and up into the brainstem."

"Don't you dare!" Sandy responded in a low tone, giving Finn a glance that told him to stay right where he was.

"Oh, but I already had it planned out-" The man responded, as he spun the knife in his hand, then moved one foot back to brace for the thrust… then fell sideways as a moderately loud bang sounded, quiet for a gunshot.

"Shot to the gut. Painful." Sandy spoke, her right arm raised with her hand flat as another bang came from her finger, this time going into the man's eye. Finn only now saw what it was she'd used, a ring on her middle finger had probably the tiniest revolver he'd ever seen attached to it, little more than a rotating 5 shot drum with a hammer on the back. "And there's a reason I don't fucking use that often…" She hissed as she examined the back of that hand, as the explosion from the bullets firing left burns across her skin.

Amanda slowly opened her eyes as Finn still held her in place before he turned to her, cradling her face in his hands before they embraced each other and Sandy turned to them.

"Get her to your room." Sandy responded, Finn guiding Amanda to their room and turning her to him once they were in it and the door was closed before holding her close to him.

"He's… he's really gone, right?" Amanda managed to ask, trying to comprehend what had happened.

"He is. Sandy dealt with him." Finn replied in a softer tone.

Amanda nodded as they continued to hold each other before letting go.

"When he aimed that dagger at you…" Amanda responded as Finn brushed her tears away.

"I know… Sandy gave me a look, she knew what she was doing. We weren't in any danger." Finn replied, resting his hands on the sides of her neck and cheeks. "I'm not going anywhere so easily."

The two got ready to go to sleep and got under the covers, Finn holding Amanda close to him.

At the same time, Sandy was shoving the body over the railing and into the river when Immy caught up with her.

"Anyone see what happened?" Immy questioned.

"Mandy and Finn but the guy had a dagger aimed at them… and Finn was staying right in front of Mandy." Sandy explained.

"Willing to protect her…" Immy replied.

"I'd like to see someone say he's worth shit when they hear about what happened…" Sandy responded, her voice trailing off as her trail of thoughts became all too familiar.

 _It was mainly the blasting wind howling through her ears that made Sandy reconsider climbing up the slope, the closer she got to it's top, the stronger the wind became. But she had to see why it was so windy, why it was snowing in July, why the sky had gone grey with clouds. Why the closest person to her had been crushed to death beneath a rooftop after a massive shockwave._

 _She didn't understand any of it… but when the 19 year old reached the top, the one thing she did instantly recognise was the massive spreading cloud from the atom bomb's explosion._

 _She knew her father's work had entailed the creation of such a device, but never the use of it. Then it hit her as to what was inside that cloud, completely surrounded in cloud and rubble was the town she'd spent the past few years within. And where Oli was, somewhere amongst the ruins and burning ash._

 _Her knees being scraped as she fell to them didn't bother Sandy at all, the biggest thing on her mind was that all she had left of Oli after the devastation left by her father's work was one small bloodstained necklace chain…_

"You okay?"

"Yeah…" Sandy responded quietly to Immy, as she briefly touched the chain she now wore around her neck, cleaned and now with a small pendant attached to it.

The two headed back to the hotel, hoping that sleep would clear their minds.

And at the same time, Amanda was thinking back.

 _ **July 18th 2009…**_

" _This is weird, even for Chicago weather… it's summer, damn it." 19 year old Amanda responded as 30 year old Phil Brooks walked over, both seeing the snow that blanketed his hometown… or what they thought was snow._

" _Should we go out and play in it?" Phil replied jokingly, Amanda lightly shoving him._

" _Wiseass." Amanda said with a slight smile before the two friends hugged… but Phil saw the expression in her hazel eyes change as she shivered slightly and it wasn't from the weather._

" _The snow is… it's warm…" Phil thought out loud as he felt some that he gathered from the window edge, and when moving it about in his hand he saw that it crumbled apart rather than melting. "Okay, this isn't snow, this is ash."_

" _What if something sinister happened, Phil?" Amanda responded, Phil pulling Amanda closer to him and holding her._

" _Let's not think like that, Mandy… could just be some volcanic explosion that brought it to countless places." Phil replied after closing the window, hoping to calm Amanda down as she rested her head on his right shoulder._

" _We should try to call the others, see if they're okay." Amanda responded, referring to Luke Gallows and Rey Mysterio._

 _And when they called them, the two had reassured them that they were safe._

" _You stay where you're at, alright?" Rey asked._

" _We will. Same goes with you. Love ya, Rey." Amanda responded._

" _Love you too, kiddo." Rey replied before they hung up, Amanda glancing out the window again as Phil walked over and sat down._

" _Hey, we're safe here, kiddo. Don't worry." Phil replied as they hugged._

 _And Amanda truly hoped so…_


End file.
